By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

DR Elliston Rahming was announced ambassador to the Republic of Cuba while Stan Smith was appointed Ambassador Designate and Permanent Representative of The Bahamas to the United Nations yesterday.

In remarks at the Balmoral Club, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis noted that Dr Rahming takes up his third diplomatic appointment as Ambassador to Cuba, according to the Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.

“He carries with him the accumulated skills of the balancing act that is required in the context of the Americas,” Mr Davis said.

“We have opposed the embargo against this country.

“We’ve also spoken to our own values but this had never interfered with our practical cooperation. Our citizens travel there in the hundreds every year for tourism, health care and education. Unfortunately, scores have been and are imprisoned there. It is also a hardship post given the ideological rifts between themselves and our neighbours to the north. You will have to manage all of this.”

Dr Rahming spoke about the relationship between the two countries while continuing to ensure the welfare of Bahamians.

He said: “It is the government’s mandate as I understand and the Prime Minister just enunciated that we are about to deepen and strengthen the level of cooperation between our two countries as it relates to such things as manufacturing, pharmaceutical developments and import substitution technologies.

“At the same time, we must continue looking after the welfare of scores of citizens who go to Cuba each year for healthcare, education, vacation, and those few who end up on the wrong side of Cuba’s legal system.”

Mr Rahming has served as Consultant Advisor on Crime within the Ministry of National Security, as Commissioner of Corrections and previously as Ambassador to the Organization of American States (the OAS) and Bahamas Ambassador to the United Nations.

As for Mr Smith, he served as Bahamas Ambassador-at-Large 2015 to 2017, and headed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Legal Division during that time. He also contributed to the ministry’s UN teams on Human Rights; and provided general foreign policy development support.

Mr Smith said: “In my appointment, support will continue for our local agencies like the social services department together with our multilateral counterparts on such matters as the need to address social exclusion in our domestic space and on in the UN context the disaster risk reduction agenda for the empowerment of all women and girls.

“In the UN debate context, we are concerned about climate change policies, something that again the prime minister has engaged (in) Glasgow and programmes to address our environment, our institutions, and our communities.”